Sunshine and Olly

by Jonathan Blaustein

Happy New Year, everybody.

Hope you, your families, friends and loved ones have a safe, healthy 2025.

I’ve been away from blogging since Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t an intentional break. 

Since I used to do this for a living, (back when professional blogging was a thing,) and now it’s a hobby, I really only post when I have the juice.

December was a hard month, for a variety of reasons, but none were traumatic. 

So I don’t have anything nasty to report, other than blogger burnout. 

That said, as this platform exists to share thoughts, and spread ideas, at the very least, I want to pass along my condolences and positive energy to the people of New Orleans.

I visited the city for the PhotoNOLA festival in 2011, ’14, ’17, '21 and '22. (Not including the online festival in 2020.)

The hotel I stayed in, each time, was about 1.5 blocks from where the mass murderer entered Bourbon Street on New Year’s morning.

I walked through there so many times, I can see the scene in my mind. 

It is literally a place designed for people to party and have a good time. (Though watching bodily fluids washed off the French Quarter on an early Sunday morning will disabuse you of any notions the fun is harmless.)

And some crazy dude who prob had CTE from military combat got hooked on ISIS and killed a bunch of innocent people. 







I guess we empathize more with people and places when we know them.

So I feel terrible for New Orleans, and send the community my love. 

As to 2025 for Sunshine and Olly, my wife Jessie is preparing her first post, which we’ll publish soon.

The doors are now open to new voices. 

If any of you would like to volunteer to write now and again, I’d be happy to consider your pitches, and edit your work. (Though as this is a non-commercial venture, we’re not offering stipends just yet.)

Wishing you all well, and as usual, please feel free to drop me a line about Sunshine and Olly, or whatever you’re up to.